Merz 'deeply shocked' by AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented on the results of the elections in the eastern German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a convincing victory. The chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) stated at a press conference in Berlin on Monday, September 7, that he and his party are 'deeply shocked' by the success of the AfD, as they did not expect such a high result for the far-right. ## 'The heaviest defeat for the CDU' in decades 'This is the heaviest defeat for the CDU in elections for many years and even decades,' acknowledged the chancellor. According to him, the recent state elections 'brought changes not only for Saxony-Anhalt but for all of Germany.' The leader of the German conservatives also stated the need to draw conclusions after his party's defeat. It is clear that the CDU cannot simply 'continue to work with the previous agenda,' he noted. At the same time, the head of the federal government emphasized the necessity of implementing fundamental reforms in Germany. This concerns 'nothing less than the future of our country and the opportunities for our children and grandchildren,' and Germany must not miss them, he reminded. 'Therefore, I remain firmly committed to continuing the course of reforms,' he stated. At the same time, it is necessary to explain the essence of these reforms to citizens more clearly, Merz is convinced. 'We must try - and I include myself in this - to reach people more effectively, appealing to the full spectrum of their emotions,' the chancellor emphasized. 'We know that many are afraid for their own future, economic stability, and social security.' ## Merz intends to defend the Basic Law The chancellor also emphasized the resilience of German statehood, despite the convincing victory of the far-right party in one of the 16 federal states. 'Our institutions are resilient and stable,' he is confident. According to him, this is guaranteed by the Basic Law, which still holds. Merz stated that he intends to defend the constitution after the AfD's victory and will seek to take measures considering the seriousness of the situation. In his opinion, the victory of the far-right party in the state elections also reflects on the international situation, so his words about Germany's resilience are directed at the foreign partners of the Federal Republic of Germany. 'We know that Germany bears special responsibility due to its history,' Merz added. He also promised that Germany would maintain its strong ties within Europe. ## Preliminary results in Saxony-Anhalt: AfD at 44% According to official preliminary results, the AfD confidently won in Saxony-Anhalt with 43.8% of the votes. The candidate of this party for the prime minister of the state is Ulrich Siegmund. The CDU, of which the current prime minister of the state Sven Schulze is a member, received 17.2% - almost half as much as in the previous elections. The Left Party - 8.6%, Alliance 90/Greens - 8.9%, Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) - 9.3%. The Alliance of Sarah Wagenknecht (SWS) also entered the state parliament with a result of 5.3%. It is with this political force that the AfD can form a coalition. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) and other parties failed to overcome the five percent barrier. Voter turnout was 77.8%. According to these results, 83 parliamentary seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament are distributed as follows: 'Alternative for Germany' will receive 39 mandates, CDU - 15, the Left Party, Alliance 90/Greens, and SPD - 8 seats each, SWS - 5.